West Ham United have an unsettled midfield and Julen Lopetegui missing out on two of his prime transfer targets could offer an explanation.
In July, West Ham failed to sign Aleix Garcia, who joined Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen from Girona for €18million (£15.2m; $19.9m). Speaking on the Jijantes Twitch channel, Garcia said his priority was playing in the Champions League, something West Ham could not offer. It meant that Lopetegui missed out on an experienced player who could play as an attacking or defensive midfielder. Garcia, now 27, helped Girona seal a surprise third-placed finish in La Liga last season, scoring three goals and providing six assists in 37 league games.
That same month, a verbal offer of £15million ($19.3m) for midfielder N’Golo Kante was rejected by Al Ittihad. The Saudi Pro League side were looking for £25m, which West Ham deemed too high due to the 33-year-old’s lack of resale value. In August, after failed moves for Kante and Garcia, head coach Lopetegui brought in free transfer Guido Rodriguez, who signed a two-year deal from Real Betis. Former West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals had advised the 30-year-old to join.
Lopetegui also signed midfielder Carlos Soler, who joined on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The 14-cap Spain international is versatile, an attribute Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten admired. The decision to sign Soler was only made in August, once James Ward-Prowse had been informed he was not part of Lopetegui’s plans. On deadline day, Ward-Prowse joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan.
But after nine league games, Lopetegui is yet to field a settled midfield pairing. Although Rodriguez has started every league match, he is still adjusting to life in a new country and has not made a significant impact. The nadir of his season was his withdrawal in the 38th minute in the 3-0 home loss to Chelsea in September.
Rodriguez’s loss of form was reflected in his absence from Argentina’s squad for the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, the first time he has missed an international camp since 2019.
West Ham’s other central midfield options are Lucas Paqueta, Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez and Andy Irving. Soler has been limited to cameo appearances and was ineffective in his first league start against Manchester United. Irving has only played 19 minutes of league football this season.
| Team | Result | Pairing |
|---|---|---|
 Aston Villa |
L
|
Rodriguez and Soucek
|
 Crystal Palace |
W
|
Rodriguez and Soucek
|
 Manchester City |
L
|
Rodriguez and Alvarez
|
 Fulham |
D
|
Rodriguez and Alvarez
|
 Chelsea |
L
|
Rodriguez and Paqueta
|
 Brentford |
D
|
Rodriguez and Soucek
|
 Ipswich Town |
W
|
Rodriguez and Soucek
|
 Tottenham Hotspur |
L
|
Rodriguez and Soucek
|
 Manchester United |
W
|
Rodriguez and Alvarez
|
Lopetegui is still searching for his best starting XI and he has made the most half-time changes of any Premier League manager. He has favoured pairing Rodriguez and Soucek (five starts as a midfield duo) but they lack pace. Soucek is not known for his technical ability, but rather his penchant for crucial goals — take his equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Brentford. Last season, five of the Czech Republic international’s 10 goals were scored in the 82nd minute or later, including two stoppage-time strikes when the scores were level.
Those late goals help justify Soucek’s place in the team, but his lack of understanding with Rodriguez was exposed in the chastening 4-1 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur. Below, we see Soucek’s attempt to win the ball in a 50-50 battle with striker Dominic Solanke.
The forward pokes the ball to James Maddison, who is in acres of space. West Ham looking exposed in midfield has become a theme this season. There is a noticeable gap between the defence and midfield, leaving them vulnerable on the break.
Another concern is the gap between Rodriguez and Soucek, as Maddison advances unchallenged. Emerson Palmieri’s advanced position forces Rodriguez to cover for the left-back. Maddison finds Dejan Kulusevski, who cuts inside and fires his shot low into the right corner.
In the games against Liverpool and Chelsea, West Ham conceded straight after the restart. Their loss to Tottenham was no different. Spurs capitalised on Soucek and Rodriguez’s disjointed display. There is a gap between them as Soucek attempts to close down Pape Matar Sarr.
The space becomes bigger, with Rodriguez focusing on tracking Solanke’s run. Forward Michail Antonio is loosely marking Yves Bissouma.
But like Maddison’s advancing run, Bissouma is in acres of space before he slots his strike past goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
West Ham could not deal with Tottenham’s counter-attacks. Positioning issues were a contributing factor, with the most noticeable coming just before the hour mark. When Sarr threads a pass to Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, he easily bypasses Soucek and Rodriguez.
As Son advances, Jean-Clair Todibo is isolated as the last defender. There is no cover from Soucek or Rodriguez, who have been taken out of the play with a single pass. Son subjects West Ham to further misery, making it 4-1.
The only game in which Soucek and Rodriguez seldom had issues was the victory over Ipswich Town but they have not managed a similar showing together against better opposition. Lopetegui fielded a defensive duo of Rodriguez and Alvarez in last Sunday’s 2-1 win over Manchester United.
This was an interesting selection, as Rodriguez and Alvarez played more than 70 games together at Mexican side Club America. While there, they won titles in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Their display against Manchester United was encouraging, with their pre-existing understanding evident, but they also struggled against Fulham and Chelsea. As a pairing, they haven’t found consistency.
Lopetegui is yet to field Alvarez and Soucek together, even though they played large parts of last season together.
For upcoming games against Nottingham Forest and Everton, Lopetegui needs to find a solution to their midfield. Of the many options, few have impressed.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
